Ferrari 458 Backup Camera, Parking Sensors & Suspension Lifter Options

Since the Ferrari 458 has limited rear visibility and is low to the ground, there are several parking assistance and suspension lifting options. These option make parking easier and help keep the 458 from scraping when going over speed bumps, driveway entrances and steep inclines.   

Parking Assistance Overview

There are two main parking assistance options:

• Rear Parking Camera
• Parking Sensors

These options are located on the front and rear bumper and then viewed on screens to the left and right of the rev counter.  Both of these options are very nice to have and make navigating tight spaces and parking much easier. 

The camera is only available for the rear only while the parking sensors are available for the “front and rear” or just “rear only”. 

Backup or Rear Parking Camera

A rear backup camera is a super convenient option. When in the 458 you sit low, the car is wide and has minimal rear visibility, so any assistance to know what is around the care is appreciated. After all the car was designed to go forward not backward. 🙂

Backup cameras are on about 60% of the cars and was approximately a $3,700 option.

Rear Camera Operation

As soon as you put the car into reverse then the camera is displayed on the right display screen. 

Below is a more detailed view of the backup camera screen.

How to Identify 458s with a backup camera

Identifying if a car has a backup camera becomes easy once you know what to look for.  

First you need a nice clear image of the rear of the car.  Second look at the center of the car just below the horse and just above the license plate.

If you see a small round black circle then the car has a backup camera.  If there is no black circle, then the car no backup camera.  It is that simple.  As you guessed it the small black circle is the backup camera.

On some of the darker color cars, especially black it can be a bit trickier to see, but with a high quality image you can recognize the camera if it is present.

Look at the two images below and you can see the difference between the two cars. 

Adding a Backup Camera

Thinking of adding a backup camera to a car that does know have one?  You will want to know it very expensive. Probably prohibitively expensive. 

The backup camera needs a hole to go through in the rear bumper and to get this hole you will need a new bumper.   

To add the camera, you will need all the parts for the camera, connecting the camera to the screens, any programing required. a new bumper, removal of the old bumper, installation of the new bumper and any paint work that is required.   

As you can see it is a lot of work to add a rear parking camera to a 458 that does not have one.  If you are really after a backup camera there are some after market options. 

Parking Camera Aftermarket Options

Here are some of the aftermarket options we have found.  If you know of any or have added one to your car let us know.

• Camera that is viewable on your phone
• Camera that is viewable in rearview mirror

Parking Sensors

Parking Sensors are a nice 458 option. The sensors are not standard and can be spec’d as “front and rear” or “rear” only. Sensors are optioned on maybe half of the 458’s. 

There are 8 parking sensors in total, 4 of which are located in the rear bumper and 4 in the front bumper. 

Option CostPrices

• Rear Parking Sensors  $1,300 option
• Front & Rear Parking Sensors $2,300 option

Front 458 Parking Senors

They are not absolutely necessary but they sure are nice to have and make you feel much more comfortable when parking or navigating tight situations.

How to identify

Operation

To operate the rear sensors, just put the car in reverse and the sensors turn on.

To operate the front sensors, you need to put the car into reverse and then forward. Then once you start driving forward for about 50 feet, the sensors turn off.

You wouldn’t ever want to damage any part of a Ferrari 458, or any other Ferrari for that matter. One of the best ways to do that was to install ADAS systems that would help warn you if there were hazards that could potentially result in collisions or other contact that would potentially put the car at risk. One of the simplest forms of this type of system is the humble parking sensor. The Ferrari 458 didn’t have these as standard, but there was an option to install them both in the front and rear bumpers.

How to Identify Parking Sensors

Ferrari 458 Front and Rear Parking Sensors – Cost and Availability
Many drivers of the Ferrari 458 commented on some difficulty with reverse parking. The main issue stemmed from the rear view, especially at the 4-5-o’clock position and the 7-8-o’clock direction. For many, this made the optional parking sensors a wise investment.

The parking sensors at the time cost around $1,300 per end as an add-on when you were configuring your Ferrari 458. If you own one now that doesn’t have them and you want to purchase the sensors in the aftermarket, you can do that. The cost for the sensors themselves might only be $30-40 each, but the sensor-ready bumper replacement could cost a lot more, as much as $7,000.

Ferrari 458 Front and Rear Parking Sensors – Function

When configuring a Ferrari 458, buyers had the option to install rear-only sensors, or front-and-rear sensors as a whole package. If you are buying a Ferrari 458, you will have to ask the seller specifically if they have installed the sensors because they were not a standard feature.

When you start up the Ferrari 458, it should be automatically set to Park mode. With the sensors in place, when you put the car in reverse, you should notice an automatic change in the driver instrument display screens. On the left side you will see the display showing the sensor range, and on the right will be the reverse camera with guiding lines. The sensors will show green when you are all clear, but will change to yellow when there is a proximity alert, and there are audio signals to further warn you of that proximity alert.

Suspension Lifter

One of the things people love about their Ferrari is the fiercely low ground clearance. The Ferrari 458 Italia, for example, has a clearance of just 113mm. This can present a problem when the car is faced with having to turn onto upward slopes or going over speed bumps, risking the underside of the car to scratches, abrasions and worse. Since any damage to a Ferrari is expensive damage, the company created a neat solution, the Front Suspension Lift.

Option Price

• Front Suspension Lifter – Approx $4,600
• AFS Front Lighting System – Approx $2,000

Why list both prices?  to get the front lifter you also had to get the AFS Front Lighting System. 

Ferrari 458 Front Suspension Lift System – Cost and Availability

When purchasing a new Ferrari 458, you could expect to pay an additional $4,000 on top of the $277,000 base price in order to get the front suspension lift system. It was available to install on all the models, but didn’t come as a standard feature, unfortunately. Some have remarked that given the low ride height, it would make sense to install this feature as standard. At 110mm, the clearance of the 458 was already considered fairly high, though, which is why it wasn’t offered as standard.

Ferrari 458 Front Suspension Lift System – Function

The lift system acts upon the front shock absorbers and provides an extra 40mm of lift to help cover the difference needed for the situations described above. Most commonly drivers will encounter these when using parking garages.

The front suspension lift system is presented as a button on the dashboard. It depicts a car with an upwards arrow underneath. This button controlled the activation and deactivation of the system, and its activation is confirmed on the instrument panel.

Skid Plates

As we mentioned in another section, the Ferrari 458 has a ground clearance of just 110mm. That being the case, anything you can do to protect the undercarriage from scrapes, abrasions or worse is a good idea. The potential damage to the underside of your Ferrari 458 is worth potentially a lot more than what it would cost to buy and install skid plates.

These are protective “armor plates” that go on the underside of your car to protect it from any time when even the front lift suspension system didn’t quite take you high enough. They are also a great addition if you buy a Ferrari 458 that hasn’t got the suspension lift system. It will bear the brunt of any impact and ensure that your undercarriage is not damaged.

Do Ferrari Offer OEM Skid Plates?

Unfortunately, there are no OEM skid plate options for the Ferrari 458, but the aftermarket is quite rich with options. There are options on eBay that will cost anywhere from $400-800, possibly more depending on the style and material. It may be a better option, however, to look into purchasing your skid plates from a more dedicated manufacturer.

If you visit a site like exoticinsight.com, they offer competitively priced Ferrari 458 skid plates at the cost of just $569. These are made in the USA and will typically exhibit a very degree of quality. They even come with a lifetime warranty.

Other sites like automodsfl.com have similar products at the same price. You could use these as a guide to buying skid plates that suit you needs and fit your budget.

How Are Ferrari 458 Skid Plates Installed?

It’s not just a question of clipping them in place. Installation on the underside of the vehicle will require some drilling and bolting, so you might want to seek some professional help to install them if you have never done this kind of modification work yourself. Once they are fixed in place, they will offer a very sturdy protection. As we said above, they are a sound investment when we are talking protecting you Ferrari 458 undercarriage from potentially very expensive and avoidable damage.